Secretary of State Launches Password Protection for Business Filers
On Thursday, January 26, 2012, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler began allowing business owners and filers to password protect their filings to help safeguard against business identity theft. As business filers incorporate in Colorado or file their annual reports online, they will now have the option to create their own password to prevent unauthorized changes to their records. Implementation of the system follows the passage of HB 11-1095 last year, which allowed the Secretary of State’s office to implement a password protected business filing system.
Stacy Carpenter, Past DBA President, Honored with Davis Award
When accepting the Richard Marden Davis Award on Tuesday, Jan. 24, Denver Bar Association past president Stacy Carpenter reflected on the people who have shaped who she is today, as a lawyer and as a member of the Denver community. Davis’ family, his law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs, and the Denver Bar Foundation established the award in his memory in 1993, honoring his belief that great lawyers should be professional and community leaders.
Handling Criminal or Traffic Citations Issued to Commercial Drivers
Criminal charges and traffic citations have collateral consequences that can be detrimental to the holder of a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Most of the consequences to commercial drivers convicted of traffic-related offenses are based on federal law, and the criminal/traffic practitioner must be aware of many such rules and consequences to properly advise his or her client. Great caution must be exercised in representing a client who maintains a CDL to prevent the loss of the client’s license—a loss that can be devastating to the client’s livelihood and employment.
Justin Ross: “I think it’s going to be okay” – The Value of Continually Encouraging Your Client
We are all familiar with the proverbial “bed-side manner,” or lack thereof, associated with physicians. However, rarely do we hear of the same for attorneys. Most times, our clients are relying on us to guide them through the most difficult time in their lives, and most clients have no idea what to make of the situation. Simply acquiring a good result may not be the most important task with which we are assigned. Although it seems elementary, I think we, as legal professionals, forget that we are obligated, as counselors at law, to reassure our clients.
Colorado Court of Appeals: Week of January 22, 2012 (No Published Opinions)
The Colorado Court of Appeals issued no published opinions and thirty unpublished opinions for the week of January 22, 2012.
Resources
State Judicial Continues Amending Forms to Comply with New Civil Procedure Rule Changes (Part 2)
Colorado State Judicial is continuing to issue forms that have been amended to comply with the new civil procedure rules adopted as part of Rule Change 2011(18), effective as of January 1, 2012. The changes are being made to time calculation requirements in the forms, which now must reflect the “rule of 7″/multiples of a week. State Judicial is reviewing all JDF forms and instructions, however it is always the Parties’ responsibility to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court rules.
State Judicial Issues Revised List of Statewide Parenting Classes
The Colorado State Judicial Branch has issued a new list of Colorado parenting seminar providers for family law consideration. Practitioners should begin using the new list immediately.
Bilingual Notice of Hearing Form Issued for Family Law Practitioners
The Colorado State Judicial Branch has issued a new, bilingual Notice of Hearing form. The form may be used to notify parties of a hearing to address family law issues such as marriage/separation, paternity, parental responsibilities, child support, or grandparent visitation. Practitioners should begin using the new form immediately.
Medical Marijuana
Spark the Discussion: The Inevitability of Marijuana Legalization
In an impressive step forward in citizen activism, advocacy groups in both Colorado and Washington recently turned in ample signatures to place marijuana legalization measures on the 2012 Presidential ballot in their respective states. These measures, which seek to regulate marijuana like alcohol at the statewide level—limiting its use to those 21 and over and requiring sales to take place in strictly regulated stores—would shake the foundation of the nation’s long-standing and increasingly unpopular War on Drugs. And here’s the kicker: these measures are likely to pass.
Legislation
e-Legislative Report: Week Two, January 23, 2012
The Legislative Video Update covers highlights from the week that was and includes activity in the General Assembly, Chief Bender addressing the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) updates. Throughout the week, both houses spent little time on the their respective floors so as to allow committees of reference time to hear presentations on the status of efforts to comply with the “SMART” Government Act. Chief Justice Bender also addressed the budget priorities for the Judicial Branch.
Community
Stacy Carpenter, Past DBA President, Honored with Davis Award
When accepting the Richard Marden Davis Award on Tuesday, Jan. 24, Denver Bar Association past president Stacy Carpenter reflected on the people who have shaped who she is today, as a lawyer and as a member of the Denver community. Davis’ family, his law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs, and the Denver Bar Foundation established the award in his memory in 1993, honoring his belief that great lawyers should be professional and community leaders.
Help Us Pay Homage: Nominate an Outstanding Lawyer, Judge or Teacher
The DBA Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the following awards: DBA Award of Merit, DBA Volunteer Lawyer of the Year, DBA Young Lawyer of the Year, Judicial Excellence, and Teacher of the Year. The committee will consider the following criteria: involvement with the DBA, involvement with the CBA, community contributions outside the bar associations, and legal career/accomplishments. Please submit a statement with the name, award, and short summary of why that person deserves the honor.
Job Search & Career Transition
Life in the Gap (Part 1): How to Get Over an Inspirational Hangover (Or, Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work)
New Year’s Resolutions rarely work. Why not? We make them because we’ve had some time off, got relaxed, found ourselves reflecting about the things in our life that chronically make us dissatisfied. We tell ourselves this time we’re going to do something about it – get healthier, change jobs, start a company, take up a new hobby, whatever. And then we wake up with an inspirational hangover. What were we thinking? We mean well. We start well. We don’t finish well. Why not?
